Gaming Keyboard:
Enhance your gaming experience and elevate your setup with a mechanical keyboard featuring customizable keys and vibrant RGB lighting. Ensure smooth gameplay with anti-ghosting technology and ergonomic wrist support.
Key Switch Mechanism: When choosing a keyboard for professional gaming, the key switch mechanism is key. Mechanical switches are ideal for their accuracy, customization, and tactile feel. Membrane switches are budget-friendly but less precise, while scissor switches offer a middle ground. Optical switches, although rare, deliver lightning-fast response times.
KeyCap Material: When choosing keycaps, it’s important to think about the material used. Cheaper keyboards usually come with ABS plastic keycaps, which can become shiny with use. On the other hand, PBT plastic keycaps are more long-lasting and have a textured matte surface. Gamers often opt for PBT keycaps because of their durability and lasting quality.
Backlighting: Backlighting is crucial for gaming keyboards. A single-color backlighting option illuminates keys in one solid color, whereas RGB backlighting enables each key to be illuminated in a wide range of colors thanks to RGB LEDs under each key. Per-key RGB goes even further by allowing every key to be lit in its unique color for limitless customization.
Size and Layout: When choosing a keyboard, the size and layout are important factors to think about. Full-size keyboards have the standard 104-key layout, including a number pad. TKL keyboards are more compact as they remove the number pad, while 60% of keyboards are minimalist by eliminating the F-row and arrow keys. There are also less common form factors like 75% and 65%, which add some keys back while still being more streamlined than full-size keyboards.
Additional Features: When looking at additional features for a keyboard, you may want to consider:
- Macro keys: Macro keys let you assign complex commands or multiple actions to one key
- Media keys: Media keys give you easy control over music, videos, and volume while playing games.
- wrist rests: A detachable wrist rest can make long gaming sessions more comfortable
- USB passthrough ports: A USB passthrough port allows you to connect a mouse, headset, or other devices directly to the keyboard
- RGB backlighting: RGB backlighting lets you personalize the colors and effects on your keys.
In summary, when looking for a new gaming keyboard, it’s important to think about the brand, quality of construction, types of key switches available, software compatibility, cost, and overall reputation. Popular brands to consider are Corsair, Razer, SteelSeries, Logitech, and HyperX. Gaming keyboards come in a wide range of prices, starting from budget-friendly options priced below $50 to high-end keyboards that cost over $200. Trying out different gaming keyboards in person or checking out reviews online can give you a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of particular models.
